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2torial #0580:
Learn2 Buy a Home
Theater System (Continued)
 Choose your receiver
The receiver is responsible for taking pieces of a movie soundtrack,
such as the sound of a jet plane taking off, and sending it to the
speakers in such a way that you can hear the plane coming from behind
and passing over you. To get these effects, you have a few choices
to consider:
- A receiver with a Dolby Surround Sound decoder is the most
basic choice. This system feeds the front speakers with the program
in normal stereo, while the back surrounding speakers are fed
a basic signal that doesn't have much separation.
- For a more enhanced sound with higher separation, you'll need
a Dolby Pro Logic decoder. This is like an electronic traffic
cop: it'll direct the appropriate sound to the appropriate channel,
which feeds into the appropriate speaker, giving you much more
localized, life-like audio.
- Finally, there's Dolby Digital,which has even more sound separation,
adding a sixth sound channel to Dolby Pro Logic's five, for powerful
low-frequency effects (the kind that are felt more than heard).
If you're getting a Laserdic or DVD as your video source, you'll
want this one.
Be aware that better sound quality usually means higher costs.
Major brands, such as JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony and Technics,
all sell receivers with these types of Dolby decoders. You will
also find units from such audiophile brands as Aiwa, Bose
or SonyES (as well as others). As you move up the lines additional
features appear, such as the ability to simulate the sound of well-known
concert halls, or, with certain DVDs, replace dialogue with another
language.
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